True Strength
by Hylianinja
Summary: My own little 'future fic.' Q4 has been preparing for this moment for a long time. Are they ready to face Ren?


***Author's note***: Greetings, readers! :D I hope you've been enjoying my stories. I really love Cardfight! Vanguard! ^^ It's gotten me so creative for the first time in a really long time. I'm not even completely sure why I love it so much. xD Probably for a lot of reasons...but I won't get into that. I know you're here to read a story, not to read my stupid ramblings, so I'm gonna shut up now. lol x.x;

So, this little diddy takes place in the future national tournament where Q4 has gotten into the finals against AL4. I still don't know the card game well enough to write it, so please don't be mad at me for not going into too much detail in that respect. ^^; I did my best lol.

Enjoy~!

True Strength

"So I see we finally meet again on the battlefield. Congratulations on making it to the finals this year."

Kai kept a straight face, ignoring Tetsu's empty praise and instead began shuffling his deck. He had no intention of acknowledging Tetsu in any way. Tetsu was his opponent; an obstacle. He had to take this fight seriously if his team was going to continue on confidently. So far, they hadn't lost a match, but this being the 2nd of three, Kai wasn't about to let his guard down.

"I've told you this before, but you can't win against us." Tetsu added, placing his first vanguard onto the field.

The fight was a vicious one. Aichi could feel the tension in the air with every moment. In the beginning, it had looked like just another match Kai would win that would bring them one step closer to their goal of defeating Ren, but in just one move, _everything_ had changed. Aichi's heart dropped at every unguarded attack that went through to Kai. He could tell just by looking at him that Kai wasn't failing to defend on purpose. Taking unnecessary damage this late in the game was far too risky.

"What is he _doing_ out there?" Kamui complained. "This is painful to watch!"

"I'm not sure," Aichi replied, still trying his best to remain hopeful. "Usually, Kai-kun takes damage and uses it to his advantage, but with the way things are now, he has a pretty big _disadvantage_."

"Y'know," Tetsu smiled eerily, drawing the one card in his deck that would turn the tide completely. "I'm glad it was _you_ that I got to face this time on the battlefield. You make this dark general quite satisfied."

Even though he couldn't even see the card Tetsu had drawn yet, Kai felt the overwhelming loss looming over his shoulders and almost couldn't bear it. For _him_ to be the one that would break their winning streak this time; it was something he just could not handle.

The match was over in a blinding flash of light to everyone watching.

Aichi automatically got to his feet in the waiting booth, completely shocked at what had just transpired.

"Kai-kun..."

Tetsu slowly gathered his cards off of the electronic field markers and said one last thing to Kai before leaving him to his defeat.

"You might as well go home, Kai. That boy doesn't stand a chance against Ren."

Kai swallowed his pride and various insults as he gathered his own cards before heading back toward the other members of Q4. He hadn't lost a match in a long time. Once again, he remembered the feeling of guilt and shame. But he wasn't about to show it.

"Kai..." Misaki was the first to greet him, followed by Shin and Kamui. All of them looked distraught.

Kai stopped in front of them for a moment, looking them in the eyes only once before moving on through toward the waiting booth. Aichi waited for him inside.

"Kai-kun..." Aichi stood from the bench he had been sitting impatiently on, looking extremely saddened and apologetic as Kai entered the room.

The older boy didn't even register his name being spoken and instead took a seat in one of the spots on the bench beside Aichi.

Aichi sighed. He was so fixated on Kai's loss that he hadn't even started thinking about his match with Ren. The match that would decide everything that they had hoped to achieve for the past year. Although he could never hide being nervous, for some reason he still felt confident. Kai's loss had set off a spark in his very soul. At the end of the day, they could still stand together, triumphantly. And this moment would be behind them.

"We now move onto the final round, ladies and gentleman! Are you ready!" The announcer's voice rallied the fans outside as they eagerly awaited the final match. The cheers sounded distorted from inside their waiting area.

Waiting for his name to be called, Aichi couldn't have looked more serious in that single moment if his life had depended on it. He clenched his fists with anticipation and moved toward the door, ready to take Ren down and avenge his precious friend.

"Aichi," Kai was almost inaudible.

The younger boy's eyes widened and he turned toward Kai, waiting for a few words of encouragement.

"Just give up. You're no match for Ren."

Aichi gasped at Kai's words.

"Will the next two fighters please make their way onto the field!" The announcer's voice rang out from outside.

The rest of Q4 waited outside for Aichi to start moving and grew suspicious when he made his way from the door, back toward Kai.

"Even after all this time," Aichi paused, reflecting on their past year together and how they had worked so hard to get to this point. "You still don't believe in me?"

Kai sounded slightly hurt as he audibly gritted his teeth.

"I only encouraged you and helped you because everyone else was worried about you all the time," Kai spat back. "And somehow they managed to talk me into it. I never thought you were even worth my time."

"I don't believe you." Aichi felt tears welling up in his eyes. He didn't bother holding them back as he stared at Kai. He wanted Kai to see what he had done to him. He really didn't believe any of what Kai was saying to him.

"You're lying! You're just trying to get me to run away. You're actually worried, aren't you? Well, you don't have to be! I'm stronger now, Kai! Thanks to you!" Aichi swallowed hard, stifling a sob. If this had been happening a year ago, Aichi wouldn't even be here. A huge part of his reason for fighting in the first place was sitting here, right in front of him. Only he was now unrecognizable with such a saddened look on his face.

Kai didn't look up. Instead he closed his eyes, sighing at Aichi's emotional outburst. He looked indifferent on the outside, but it pained him deep down to see Aichi as hurt and upset as he was right now. He couldn't bare to look at him. He could only come up with more lies as he thought of a way out of this ugly situation.

"Kai-kun," Aichi paused, wiping his face on his sleeve and collecting himself before continuing. "I know you. I believe in you. I always have."

Kai opened his eyes, curiously. He sensed something different coming from Aichi.

"Watching you, so cool and strong; you always gave me strength. And I know that deep down, you believe in me too. You believe in Blaster Blade, just as I do. My royal paladins and I can still lead us to victory if you'll believe in me."

A gentle blue aura illuminated Aichi's figure as he smiled confidently at Kai. For a moment, he feared absolutely nothing.

"Aichi..." Kai's eyes widened as he felt a wave of fearlessness overcome all of his other raging emotions. Locking eyes with the kind-hearted, confident Aichi, he gave into the feeling, letting Aichi's aura envelop his own. For that moment, he felt safe.

"I always knew you had it in you," Kai spoke, closing his eyes once more. "From the moment I gave you that Blaster Blade; I was just too ashamed to admit your potential. You're a lot stronger than you realize."

Aichi stared wide-eyed at Kai's expression. He couldn't believe it; Kai was actually smiling.

"Maybe," Kai paused. "Even stronger than me."

"Kai-kun..." Aichi couldn't help but blush ever so slightly as he took in Kai's truthful words. The feeling was cut short, however; as the door to the waiting booth opened behind him.

"Onii-san, get out there before we get disqualified!" Kamui called as the rest of Q4 crowded against the door from the outside.

Just like that, the aura faded as Aichi turned toward his other team members.

"R-right!" He began moving toward the door again.

"Aichi!" Kai's voice was as clear as day as he stood from the bench without warning. Any sign of him having just lost an important match earlier had been eradicated.

Aichi hesitantly stopped to listen at the door one last time.

"Be careful," Kai told him. "Ren isn't like anyone else."

"I know," Aichi smiled. "Ren doesn't have a group of friends cheering for him."

Kai's mouth opened slightly at that response.

"Time for us to show him true strength!" Aichi stated confidently, holding up Blaster Blade.

"Hm," Kai smirked, menacingly.

"Hey, are you two okay?" Kamui asked, taking Aichi's old spot on the bench as he got comfortable to watch the match. "What went on in here?"

Aichi took one last glance through his deck as he made his way onto the competitor's platform, praying to his royal paladin comrades for any courage that they could muster.

_Here I go, Kai-kun! Everyone!_


End file.
